#but like people mers have good and bad among them

[naffeclipse]

Btw, in mer au, did Vanessa live shorter than expected because of mer's bond/curse being broken? You told yn lived around 150 years because they shared the amount of lifespan with eclipse. How did that affect Vanessa?

Also my cat

Vanessa did not live a shorter life span because of Glitch dying! She lives a normal human amount.

The life span shared between a mer and a human only occurs when they both live a long time together. It's slowly given over time. Hence, with Glitch and Vanessa, there's no lifespan to share because he's gone, there is nothing he can give to her and nothing for Vanessa to take.

When mers use the magic bond to control and force humans to do their bidding, they use the human and then kill the human soon after lest the human end up eating away some of the mer's own years.

Filez, I am smooching your darling kitty cat right between the ears, what a sweet little creature ♥

[gallifreyianrosearkytiorsusan]

Good Intentions

Past =-= Next

Author's note: Su'cona's next part in Living Waters AU.

Warnings: None that I can think of?

Summary: Su'cona meets with his human again.

Tagged: @barn-anon, @bleedingichorhearts, @c-u-c-koo-4-40k, @egrets-not-regrets, @kit-williams,

Tagged continued: @sleepyfan-blog, @whorety-k, @ms--lobotomy @bispecsual @thevoidscreams

Tagged continued: @i-am-a-dragon34, @gra93fruit-blog

You had been quite surprised to have been approached by Su’cona, he was a mer-astartes, and he was a really large one too. With green, black, and gold on his scales. Dark skin and friendly ember-warm eyes that sparkle in the sunlight.

Your cheeks grow warm and you shake your head a little, slapping your cheeks a little to get yourself to focus on your work. You shouldn’t be distracted by a handsome mer-astartes with a deep voice, smooth as glass and deep as dark molasses that had almost felt like it had caressed you.

You were a part of a team of marine biologists who helped study areas affected by illness and disease. An order had come down to purge and burn everything that had been collected due to being highly dangerous and volatile, when the Mer-astartes had realized just what was Going On was. 

The mer-astartes in Blue and Gold, Ultramarines? You think they are called, and brought everyone involved and explained what was happening and why it was extremely important to ensure for the safety of the people and the ocean to burn everything, as well as be checked over by some of their mer-astartes specialists for contamination.

Everyone had questions, and they had asked them, frustratingly the Ultramarines only answered half the questions. While some of the other questions they had kept vague. They had reasons for not giving all of the information, or so they said. They had done as they were bid, but you had been assigned to check on the affected area and to help set up the exclusion zone.

Su’cona was one of the specialists involved in burning the entire area which had seem a rather extreme solution. But the mer-astartes had been firm and unyielding in the matter. 

The loss of ocean life and the destruction to the ecosystem was going to be immense and they had been told that the mer-astartes were going to help restore the area, once they were sure that no more of the Corruption was going to take root again. But not before. There is a lot that humans don’t know about mer-astartes, a lot of things that they leave unsaid, frustratingly enough. Su’cona had come up from the ocean, having spotted you and smiled softly at you. Leaning on the boat, his arms dangling into the boat as you turn to him.

“It’s nice to meet you again, Su’cona,” You say warmly to the Salamander.

“It’s nice to meet you again, my Spark,” He says warmly. “My brothers and I have finished cleansing the area that has had the Corruption happen. For safety it’s best for you and your crew to stay away until we are certain that the Corruption won’t try to take root again.”

“Do you know how long it will be before we can start revitalizing the area?” You ask him.

“It depends on a number of factors,” Su’cona says.

Not the least of which being of the Death Guard, whether it was a single one or a whole Chaos-cursed shoal that had been making the garden came back and made a Mess of things. Again. Slow to rouse is the anger of the Death Guard, but things could be very messy when they got pissed off. Especially those that were corrupted by Nurgle. Not that he’s going to tell you that.

“Have you seen any… strange Space Marines in the area?” Su’cona asks suddenly.

“Strange, how?” You ask him, wondering what’s going on through his head.

“Strange in the sense of looking… mutated, very large, multiple eyes, limbs, mouths,” Su’cona lists carefully, “Some of the more sensitive humans get bad headaches… Any unusual illnesses among your people popping up suddenly?”

“No?” You reply confused and wondering what he meant by that.

“Thanks for letting me know.” Su’cona says a slight frown gracing his lips.

“Su’cona- what?” You start to ask him.

But he seems to hear something and raises a hand up. You put your hands on your hips and huff, but obligingly wait, as some smaller Salamander Mer-astartes Pop up and speak to him rapidly in one of their languages. He responds to them, and they peer at up at you curiously and give you a big grin before saying something to Su’cona that has him shoot the younger Salamander an Unimpressed look as the younger Salamander swims up.

“What’s going on?” You finish your question.

“Pestering little brothers,” Su’cona says with a very tired sigh. “Stay away from the exclusion zone, please.”

“I will,” You say with a sigh.

Mer-Astartes could be so frustrating to deal with sometimes. But that was actually a good interaction. You have heard some… horror stories about some of the different should of mer-astartes. 

How dangerous they could be. No one knows how they reproduce, and that is not a question they answer, if a particularly bold human has asked them. Or if they’ve answered, no one’s telling.

You tell the rest of your team what you were told by the Salamander and you head back to base. Your younger sibling had been slow in responding to you recently. You know that they had moved to the nearby oceanside city due to health issues recently.

You sent them a message asking if you could visit them in a few days and they responded that they’d be happy to host you. Also- they had a Surprise that they wanted to show you. A new person in their life that they’d like you to meet.

That had you raising your eyebrows in surprise, your younger sibling was … not aloof, but tended to be shy around people. When you were younger, they’d tend to stand next to you and watch as you made friends, and via osmosis they became friends with your younger sibling.

It didn’t help that they could sometimes come off as way more intense than they meant to. They struggled with saying the right words and often didn’t seem to understand what people wanted from them. 

They had complained that it was like everyone else was given a manual or a rules book on what the unspoken rules were and that they were just lost and could never seem to say the right thing, or do the right thing to make friends, or not annoy people into hating them.

You often wondered if they might be on the Autism spectrum, or at the very least not neurotypical with how they reacted to things. They tended to shy away from people touching them, even their family members it was hard for them to allow touch. 

They’d once told you it was because sometimes it felt like someone was dragging razors against their skin. So, to have a new person in their life, that is living with them, had you been very surprised, and a little bit concerned.

So you ask them follow up questions about their room mate. They had explained that they’d met a mer-astartes one day while on the beach and had gotten to talk with him. That had your second eyebrow rising in shock at that.

When you pointed out in a text message that this is the first time they had said anything about having met a mer-astartes. They had sent back a confused reply that they thought that they’d talked about them with you.

Which had you chuckle a little ruefully, your younger sibling had a terrible memory at times. And could accidentally gaslight themselves into believing that they had said something to someone, when in fact, they hadn’t told them anything at all. 

Your younger sibling had a very active imagination, one that had gotten them lost in their own head a lot when they were younger… and sometimes tended to do so now that they are older.

[moonyasnow]

Okay as promised to feed you headcanons on interactions we had:

Irina and Aiden:

-Given she has a love for warm bread I feel given the HSA harvest event he could have made her a nice treat with it... he is a god in cooking among my ocs so I feel it will hit her like a truck how good it is... and that from a guy who doesn't seem like it at all...

-Her seemingly more stuttery in her language and him being super protective makes me think of a situation where she is just nervous and overwhelmed and he stands before making sure that she is protected and gets a rest. Aiden does have that glare that can scare others away that bother her

-Its winter and they share a scarf, cause it be cute and I can see Aidens ears twitch being slightly red and silent

-Both know about hanging out with the wrong people at times, so I feel it be a time where Aiden invite her to his dorm and from the tree houses looking down they could probably both share trauma and eventually hold anothers hand in assurance as in now they got another really

Victor and Eiji

-The beginning of their meeting be interesting to explore cause... Eiji is a homunculus... neither human neither fae nor beast or mer people... he is just a puppet so probably by default Victor might have not be interested in him untill watching his behaviour and what is off about it likely... Eiji is obviously hiding his true nature... but the accesoires, the rabbit paw in his room and the late night going outs are indicators something

-Victor wouldn't fear his threats and probably dig deeper into what he does and what is his secret but keep his secret... in exchange of being allowed to spend time with him... Eiji is still tired of it but does admit he likes his fascination so he grows softer

-I feel however Victor sadly helps him to get even better at covering up so it might be a danger to others, but them being lovers is just a twisted fascination with morbid things for sure

Veronica and Flynn

-He names people he loves after gems so checking his list he might name her Aquamarine

-I feel in the beginning he slightly egged her on... like they had a sword fight against another and all this man did is dodge instead of attack with so much precision it was hard to keep up with and even if she won she just asked him why he didn't attack and he just answer like "Cause watching you is more beautiful." he is a bastard like that.

-Some of her lines on her profile makes me think she might really start to care when she knows how less he cares about himself cause man sees his own life not of value and she could smack sense into him that dead he is moreso worth nothing than alive, its all him living to use his life for others not for himself that drove him with his trauma that way

-He wouldn't say anything about her brother at all... he himself did some bad things so he aint one to judge, and him being a bird might even get him and Victor to also be on decent terms

-This man will literally bring her huge bouquets and always be there surprisingly to be kept in her mind... I said he is percistent and that is mostly for once he found someone that fully got his interest he works hard to impress them... even if he would be better dropping his mask and being himself but... old habits die hard

-Either way if they get together or close she would find out about silly things on him like... hiding he likes fastfood to seem fancy and being terrible at cooking

The Irina and Aiden stuff, just cute and wholesome as always

Just know it'd take a LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT for her to share her own traumas

She's probably the least willing to out of all my OCs. Even more so than Victor surprisingly?

Partly because she just had it reinforced in her mind so many times over and over growing up that if she didn't always make whoever she was around happy everyone would leave, so she had to just bottle everything up But she wouldn't be as assertive about boundaries as Victor would be, so if she felt like there was any kind of pressure for her to open up that'd just make it harder for her. That 'the more you reassure, the less I trust' kinda vibe

Also partially because she just really doesn't want anyone to make a big deal out of it. Like, she's already been through it, so someone making a big deal out of it and being worried about her would just make her feel worse I think

There are legitimately AUs I've imagined her in where she never tells ANYONE about the stuff she went through as a kid

My first thought about Victor and Eiji is— I feel like Victor would think he was interesting from the word 'go'. Liars can usually spot another liar a mile away, after all.

And the moment he gets even the TINIEST hint that Eiji isn't human, he is LOCKED IN. He is going to figure out this man's secret if it kills him. He wouldn't actually mind if it did kill him actually. That'd just make him even MORE obsessed actually. Freak that he is, he even finds it sorta romantic???

Like 'damn this person really just killed me because I got close to figuring out their secret. They're the one' lol

And yeah...every single ship I've ever imagined Victor in before the OC x Canon-TWST ship I have him in has been him and the other person 100% just making each other worse lol

Oooo and with Flynn and Veronica— first of all, she is a MASSIVE tsundere. STUBBORN about trying to seem like she doesn't care and thinks everything and everyone is stupid.

But if he was actively flirty like that from the get-go she'd more turn her nose up and like cross her arms and go 'hmph!' and like look away like she couldn't care less. She wouldn't be actively flustered by that specific kind of flirting, but that she's not actively like 'get tf out of my sight rn' is as much indication as you're gonna get that she's fine with it.

Mostly just because she doesn't believe he's being sincere.

Oh but she would 100% fall for him egging her on to fight every single time, and when he did nothing but dodge she'd just get even more upset, and if he het her with that line then, oh, she's DONE Like-- face is so red, and she's so flustered she keeps trying to like insult him (bc that's the only way she knows to react to feeling attacked lol, and she definitely feels attacked-- just hasn't figured out it's not in a bad way yet) but she can't even speak

So she's just like screeching and stuttering incoherently like:

"What?! Wh-wha— you— what do you— th-that's not— I never said— you— I— bgaaah!"

And then she's just storming off because she has no idea how to deal with that lol

Oh and she'd have a big thing of like: "Where the hell did you get 'Aquamarine' from?" (even funnier if he just refuses to tell her why lol)

Oh, and an interesting thing about Veronica is that, I don't think she really cares too much for gifts? She likes gifts that she can use— like a tool, or equipment of some kind, or clothing, or food But, though she'd understand the sentiment behind it, I think she'd struggle to know what to do with the roses lol

And a thing I love about Veronica is that when she has her 'oh shit' moment of 'I would care if you died/were gone', like-- she is gonna move literal mountains for you.

You wormed your way under her skin and inside her heart (somehow) so now you have to take responsibility for that! And by 'responsibility' she means taking good enough care of yourself that she won't need to worry about losing you. Because it would absolutely DEVASTATE her. She knows this about herself. That's why she's so cautious with letting people close to her in the first place

She is gonna force you to take care of yourself whether you like it or not

And honestly...I can see her just buying him fast food lol

She sees straight through that and does NOT have the patience to play along with his facade, she does not care how hard he tries to fake it because it does not work on her lol

[sparrolina]

Celeste's Guide to Mer Communication

(Celeste sits in front of a crowd of newcomers. She gives them all a friendly wave, but she's visibly nervous about speaking in front of so many Mer)

"Okay, so um... hi everyone! (she recieves a few polite greetings in return, but no one speaks. There's a long awkward pause before she continues). As you can probably guess, there are many ways that Mer like to talk with one another. Some of them are simple and easy to remember. While others are complicated and have a deeper meaning. Each Mer species has their own language and culture, so most of this stuff is only relevant to the Reef. But here's a few of the most common - and the most important!- methods of communication to help you get settled. After all, we don't want to start any scandals, do we?

Chirping can be used for lots of different reasons, like expressing confusion or joy. It’s not unusual for a Mer of any age to do it. But its most commonly used among infants and small children. I think its really cute, especially when the babies do it. It always reminds me of how tiny they are and-

(Celeste rambles for the next several minutes, apparently oblivious to the polite smiles and blank faces that are staring back at her. Eventually she gets back on topic)

-And then there's Squeaking, which is also a sound that babies make when they want your attention. Its quite adorable really, (she chuckles) but I guess you knew that already, huh?

Okay, what else is there...? Oh! What about Trilling? This is a happy noise that shows a Mer is pleased with something. Sometimes its accompanied by Nuzzling someone’s cheek - which is a sign of affection between Reef Mer. Its commonly used when thanking someone, and technically you can do it to anyone. But since everyone has different boundaries and comfort zones, its usually best to keep this between good friends, family and Life Partners. It saves you from any awkward moments that can easily be avoided.

Speaking of avoiding things, a less than pleasant way of showing your emotions is Hissing. Which we do as a warning when we feel angry or threatened. if someone starts hissing at you, then its probably a good idea to think about what you're doing. And you should also remember that hissing isn't a guarantee that someone will leave you alone. I mean, I hiss at Calvin all the time and it never makes him leave. It does make me feel a bit better, so I guess that's something. But anyway-

(Celeste is interrupted by a member of the audience. He looks like a lot like Sun if he decided to wear a silly costume or a bad disguise. He asks about romantic acts, such as kissing, and Celeste immediately becomes flustered. She tries to remain professional)

Kisses? W-well we do that by Nuzzling someone’s neck and humming. Like most Mer species, Reef Mer mate for life. So romance is seen as something that is private and special. Kisses are only shared with a Life Partner when they’re in the comfort of their own home. Never with anyone else, and never in public.

(When asked about another act called purring, Celeste turns bright pink and can barely look anyone in the eye)

That's a um... a reasonable question! (mutters) I suppose. (Speaking in the most confident tone she can muster, she adds) As you probably know, each Mer species has a different view on Purring and when it’s appropriate. Here in the Reef, we believe that its the second most intimate act that you could share with someone. After... well, you know. Purring happens when a Mer is experiencing extreme happiness and contentment. So we only do this around specific people who are important to us - like a Life Partner. It’s considered highly inappropriate to purr in any other setting. And can result in a lot of embarrassment and discomfort for all parties if its done at the wrong time."

(The Sun look-alike grins mischeviously, and is about to ask another question when Celeste suddenly ends the lesson. She's so flustered after discussing these intimate acts that she feels the need to flee. Hopefully she can finish this conversation another time. But for now she needs to find a hole to hide in until her embarrassment is over...)

[half-deadmagicperson]

And He Answered

Chapter 4

Words for this chapter: 1158

For @phicphight

Prompt by @erebecula Mermaid AU, where instead of being ectobiologists, Jack and Maddie Fenton study wildlife from under the sea— specifically mermaids. Amity Park is next to multiples large lakes and rivers, the Ghost Zone is underwater, all the ghosts are mers, and Danny is struggling to find a way to explain his sudden aversion to any things water.

No warnings for this chapter! (That I can think of)

First | Prev | Next | AO3

     "What exactly did you mean when you said I was a drowned."

   Princess Dorothea found the answer to be simple, but hard to deliver. No one wants to live with the fact they died. Calmly, she took a breath and began to explain,

   "Our people are made up of two main types of people. There are the spawned, those who are born a mer. They usually look less like a land dweller. Then there's the drowned, people who died at sea. Not everyone who drowns becomes a mer however. They have to have a strong will to live or the right conditions in order to manifest their new form."

    The young one looked down in thought. It reminded her of when she first became a mer. Her brother, Aragon, and her had been captured by Vikings and tossed into the sea. She remembers the cold water and her senses beginning to numb. Her change had scared her. That was a good millennium ago. A lot has changed since then.

    The boy looked up at her once more and asked,

  "So does the whole mer thing come with powers?"

   "Normally, yes, one can train in magic and develop powers that are specific to them. However, I cannot be sure with you, Young One, for your aura is different from that of a normal drowned. I have never sensed anything like it before. Was there anything unique about the circumstances of your transformation?"

   The boy (Danny?) thought for a second before answering her.

   "I, uh, don't remember what happened. I did have a dream though. I was in the sub. Water had already filled the cockpit. But there was a man, a blue man. He was wearing some kind of purple cloak and blew a ball of blue light at me, kinda like how you did with the language spell. He told me I was destined to 'unite the land and sea' or something like that."

   Dora gasped. There was a myth among the Mer of a guardian donned in purple. He was said to only appear in the darkest of times when the needs were great. Most mers had never encountered this man. Many thought it was just a legend. Only the Ancients know if this Master of Time truly exists. Thoughts of different prophecies filled her mind, but she pushed them out. What mattered right now was helping this kid.

    "Would you like to accompany me to the Atlantic? We could find you a tutor," she offered. The child's face brightened before scrunching up again.

  "I would love to, but I just remembered I have to get back home. My sister's probably worried about me."

  "Very well. If you come back tomorrow, maybe you may journey with me then."

   Dora escorted Danny back to his archway. He turned back to her and waved before diving into the swirling water.

  Safe travels, young one.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Once he was over the disorientation, Danny swam towards the beach. Jazz was sitting on the sand reading a book.

   "Sorry, that took so long. I got caught up in something," he told her as he pulled his body onto shore.

   "What do you mean? You were only gone for like a minute," she replied while handing him a towel.

   "It felt a lot longer than that," he mumbled.

   "Well either way, Sam and Tucker will be expecting you at Nasty Burger in about 20 minutes."

   "You're right I should be getting ready."

   "That's right. We can't have them being suspicious. Although, I don't think it would be a bad thing to have them in the loop." 

   "I know. I'll tell them eventually. I just want to figure things out for myself first."

   "And that's perfectly fine! Just remember that they are your friends, and I believe that they will support you."

   "Thanks Jazz."

    The siblings packed up their stuff and began their walk home. Machinery sounded from the lab as they entered their house. The Fenton parents must be working on something. Jack walked up from the lab covered in grease.

   "Jazzy! Danno! You're back!" 

   Jack's gigantic arms wrapped around both his children and squeezed the life out of them.

  "Come see what we made! It'll blow those mer outta the water!"

   "Thanks, but no thanks, I got to study," was Jazz's reply.

   "Well that leaves you and me, Danno!"

    Danny tried his best to look excited. While they were walking down to the lab, Danny decided to risk it and ask his dad some questions.

    "Hey, Dad?"

    "Yes, so?"

     "Why do you hate the mer so much?" 

     Jack looked at his son's thoughtful expression and sighed.

     "It all started when your mom, my buddy Vlad, and I were working on our college project. I've always believed that mer existed, especially since we Fentons come from a long line of sailors and merhunters, but I never encountered one until that day.

    We were out on a boat in a river nearby campus, collecting specimens to catalog for our marine biology class. We found different fish to weigh and categorize as well as some plants. Vlad found some snail shells and wanted to see if there were any snails living in them. He found one that was unlike any we had seen before. Unlike a normal shell, it was lime green! Unfortunately, Vlad made a huge mistake by grabbing it.

    A sea witch rose from the water and demanded the shell. We were all too petrified in fear to give it to her. She cursed Vlad and told him that he will become the thing he hates the most. The snail transformed into a large fish and splashed into the water. We were so scared, Danno!

   The rest of the day passed like normal, but it wasn't too long before we noticed a change in Vlad. He started isolating himself and would have random outbursts. Your mom and I tried to be there for him, but he pushed us away. Eventually, he hated us so much he wouldn't go near us. Vlad's life fell apart and it was all because of a mer. I've hated them ever since."

    "What if not all the mers are bad? Ya know like how there's good people and bad people? What if you just met a bad one?"

   "There's no such thing as a good mer," Jack's tone was dark and final. His opinion was set in stone. Danny's heart broke. He could never tell them. Maybe he wasn't blessed. Maybe he was cursed. Maybe he was cursed to become what his parents hate. He was cursed to become a mer.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    In a dark cavern, evil lay in wait. A shadow of a figure pulled out a key. He stuck the metal into the stone and turned. A red light flared up on a large triangle that was engraved in the wall. Soon there will be enough power. They just had to wait.

  Evil had opened the Bermuda Gate.

[sharksa-shivers]

What are...Shadowdemons?

I thinks ima do a new sorta thing where i explain an aspect of Kidnapped and whatnot in a post...So for our first one, we've got shadowdemons!! Shadowdemons are the main type of demon we see in series. They are the ones that are running the shadowcult and are doing...Alot of uhhh not good things... (NOTE TO BE AWARE OF: Not every single shadowdemon we see in series is bad...Shadowdemons as a species are neutral until proven good or bad. They are not inherently born hateful, they become so overtime...I wanna make this clear before i start going off about them because THIS IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT...Hell, some shadowdemons we even get to meet in show are actively fighting against the cult and their shit...It's just the cult is fucking HUGE and there's alot of shadowdemons in it...) Alrighty so ig i'll start with a bareass basic explanation...What are they exactly? (Old art incoming and whatnot lol...I have to use old stuff cuz i haven't done any newer stuff soooooo bare with me here...)

(...This above might perhaps potentally be Bastard #2...Prince Collin...Perhaps...But ima actually officially introduce him later and give him a better design lol so uhhhh hold up for me yeah??

(Rando one i drew lol) Shadowdemons are described as very very humanlike...By this, they behave similarly as well, being intellegent and whatnot. They tend to be pale-ish tones of white or grey, some being darker greys as well. They have black voids for a base eye and a more blurry/glowing light for a pupil. It's also known they have incredibly incredibly sharp features usually...They have razor sharp fingers, teeth, ect. All shadowdemons can fly but typically lower casted ones/more common ones have wings while very very high status ones (like...Collin lol) Have no wings and fly by levitation instead. High powered shadowdemons ALSO have the ability to steal magic from mers which...is a death sentence to a mer...A MER CANNOT SURVIVE WITHOUT THEIR MAGIC. IT IS A VITAL PART OF THEIR SYSTEM... Shadowdemons are...Known for not being easy at all to kill. Mostly because there's only one surefire 1000% kill method for them. Only ONE. And that's by burning them. They have to be burned to be fully destroyed (and even then, you have to FULLY FULLY burn them...You cannot halfass it otherwise they will regenerate.) Typically if you stab a shadowdemon or take their head off or whatever other death method you wanna use, they will simply be temp dead for a 5 to 15 minute period (depending on how bad the injury is) and then they will reform...They can literally reform their entire head and brain if you shot them like 30 times, you need fire to fully do one in... Shadowdemons do need food and rest to recoup and regain lost energy HOWEVER they will not die without these things and some shadowdemons forgo these things for years and years...Depends on the demon, each one has their preference... Shadowdemons are also known for being able to blend among people very well. They are known to have 3 forms: 1. Their typical shadowdemon form, the form we see the most usually. 2. A "human" form, basically a disguise form to fit in among people without raising flags... 3. Their shadowform, basically they can turn into a shadowcloud. We tend to not see this as often but it does and can happen. As a note as well; Mers and humans are about on par strengthwise (if you don't count magic) Shadowdemons however, are about 3 times stronger on average then humans and mers, they can SERIOUSLY do damage and fuck you up with raw demon strength if they're able to… Your average mer without magic is like a typical human...A shadowdemon, 1 shadowdemon alone, can give Sharky a run for his money in the strength department so yknowwwwww uhhhhh not good lol...They can take alottttttt of damage, regenerate and are very difficult to fight. Alot in the cult are bloodthirsty though some aren't and are simply...Just trapped in the cult unfortuntely for them... Another thing of mention in the shadowdemon toolkit is something known as 'body-hacking' ...........And yeah, it's exactly what you think it is; demon possession. If a shadowdemon can get inside you and they have bad intentions, it's pretty much curtains for you because there's...Not really a good way to exorcise them out of yourself...They can weaken you and weaken you and weaken you and the weaker you get, the more control they get of you...Andddddddd that's not really good for your ass now is it?? --- Shadowdemon reproduction (might as well since i am talking about them lol...) Shadowdemons-Shadowdemons reproduction is VERYYYY different from humans…For starters, asexual reproduction…Shadowdemons also do not need het coupling to reproduce either, any gender of shadowdemon can join in. Shadowdemons also can reproduce with more then 2 partners, up to 5 (past 5 demons, you usually start getting really bad genetic defects…)

In order to produce a shadowchild, a few steps are taken. (we will discuss this with a average couple of 2, insert whatever gender you'd like, but 2 parents…)

The shadowparents will dig a hole, about 4 or 5 feet deep, deep enough for the offspring to grow.

The shadowparents choose a base parent. A base parent is one that will temporarily sacrifice a limb that will be removed and placed into the hole. The limb removed is usually a arm, hand, foot, or leg. The usual method of limb removal will be through a sword, knife or machete and will be done fast, usually to try and help reduce pain. Once the limb is removed, it is placed into the hole…

The other shadowparent will then proceed to add some sort of dna, usually spit or blood to the limb (though other dna isn't unheard of.)

After this is done, the hole is very very very quickly covered back up and the base parent leaves as quickly as possible to avoid the limb reconnecting to the base parent. After this process is complete, the hole is left alone for a weekend to a full week…Shadowdemons are made very quickly compared to other creatures due to their regeneration aspects…After this timeframe, what's known as a shadowchild, will dig it's way free and into the world, "being born". Shadowdemons do not have a baby stage in life, instead being "born" as children right off the bat(albeit small children…) Shadowchildren are able to take human forms pretty much instantly and resemble 4-6 year old children…Shadowchildren are then either picked up by their shadowparents or move into society themselves and are given food and clothes upon moving into the area. Shadowdemons have areas where orphan shadowchildren can stay as they grow up.

Shadowdemon life cycle: Shadowchild-->Teenager-->Adult Shadowdemon It's noted/thought that the most powerful shadowdemons have some sort of direct connection to Demon Drop...Who was the first shadowdemon and seems to be somewhat different then other shadowdemons...In certain ways... Collin for example is incredibly incredibly strong and takes alot more to tempkill then your typical shadowdemon...This is because Collin is Demon Drop's son, directly apparently (and thus why he has the power he does in the cult...And why he's prince...And everythingggg else...) ------ Shadowdemon culture: There's the cult culture where...You do whatever you are told or face the fire/consiquences OR the shadowdemon outsider culture...Where alot of them try to hide and live their lives like normalass people, wanting absolutely nothing to do with the cult and their bloodshed. It very much depends... It's said too there's a demon fighting group known as 'The Rising Dusts' which is made entirely of ex cult demons and tries to fight against the cult as well as pulling shadowdemons from it...And stopping the whole uhhhh doomsday death thing the Shadowcult wants to spearhead at some point very soon...(Perhaps we'll even get to learn/see/encounter them in series despite them being quite elusive apparently...) The main shadowdemons we will see are from the cult though...And we'll see them in full action, killing mortals, trying to recruit outsider shadowdemons, trying to fuck with demon fighters, trying to bring Demon Drop back, the whole 9...So that'll be funnnnnnn... ------

......I think this is the bulk of info but i mayyyyy probably am missing something, idk, ig i can always do another later on if need be lol...

[cjbolan]

7 questions: Charlie Beeston from Emily Windsnap

three facts about them from my personal headcanons

Based on my headcanon that Beeston used to be a siren:

He was about Emily's age the first time he grew legs. Probably felt really weird and awkward for him. Just fits perfectly with how similar these 2 characters are! Based partly on @orithereticent 's headcanon.

Also as a young man he was Neptune's only male siren. Because Neptune trusts him that much. Beeston has this way of charming people and luring them into a false sense of security. Which he uses to his full advantage, to earn positions of power. As Brightport's lighthouse keeper, and Chairman of the Board, and much more. Plus his mom used to be a siren. He had definitely had the skills, and probably the good looks for it in his youth. Maybe a good singing voice too.

When Mr. Beeston grew too old to be a siren, he began training Jake to take over his siren job. Which is probably how Jake and Mr. Beeston met. So imagine how Beeston must've felt, learning the merman he taught to lure humans to their doom, has instead rescued and fell in love with one. Based partly on @kisari-v 's headcanon.

a reason they suck

Everything he'd done in Book 1.

a reason they are great

His redemption arc. It was so gradual and just so heartwarming! Book 1 starts with him being a cold uncaring man who ruins people's lives, then ends with him feeling incredible guilty for it. As he should. Granted he was working for King Neptune hence he couldn't say no. I think what made him awful is him showing 0 remorse until the very end. Book 3 ends with him and Emily JUST STARTING to try forgiving each other. Book 4 has him offer a much-needed genuine apology for everything he's done, and starts helping out of the kindness of his heart, not because he's just following orders. Ultimately Book 4 the first time he makes his own choices. Book 5 has him finally earn Emily's trust and forgiveness.

All this makes him one of my favorite characters in the series. a reason I relate to them 

I love donuts! (what I consider to be) the top tier otp/ot3 for that character

Hmmm hard question. Mr. Beeston never has a love interest, nor has he shown any romantic feelings towards anyone. Given how loyal he is to the merfolk species, maybe someday he'll settle down with a nice mermaid or merman. Probably someone in King Neptune's court. five things that never happened to that character that I believe should have happened

He deserves a prequel.

Would love to see him and Jake work together, rather than just be told about it. We're told they used to be friends, so would love to see how and if they're still friends in the present timeline. Honestly I get a feeling that they're not. Despite working together.

Would love to see Emily sneak into his lighthouse at some point. Or look into his window or something like that. Because I always wondered what it looks like on the inside.

After Book 4, he should eventually show off his merman tail to Brightport. Would he do it the same way Emily showed her tail to everyone?

Would love to see how being a semi-mer affected his sense of belonging in Brightport. We're told he felt like an outcast in among the merfolk for it, did he feel the same way with humans in Brightport? Did he feel just as much an outcast in Brightport? Or did he feel more accepted in Brightport as humans there welcomed him with open arms? I think the only way to answer that, would be a story from his POV.

five people that character never fell in love with and why

King Neptune. Maybe a one-sided romance on Beeston's part.

Mary P. (too big of an age gap, and too much bad blood)

Jake (too big of an age gap, and too much bad blood)

Archie (too many conflicts of interest, they have the same boss)

Mystic Millie (again too big an age gap, also because he's much more grounded in reality than she is)

BASED ON THIS ASK MEME

[clickerflight]

October 2023 - Sandstorm: Part 22

I finished writing the whole story this weekend. Ended up being 46K words. I will continue posting this till it's all up and then I should have some stuff for my other stories out.

Masterlist

Part 21

Content: Demon whumpee, human whumpee, half dragon whumpee, mer whumpee, lady whump, demon circle whump, dehumanization, whumpee used as decoration, cannibalism, slavery

......................................

Laurance heard a low growl echo through the room from the scaleon behind the curtains behind him. Laurance shivered at the sound, low and meant to strike fear into the hearts of the people that heard it, but for him the fear came from how Anisha had just drawn attention to herself. 

Jeo looked past Laurance and said, “Oh dear. Looks like we’ve made the little dragon angry. Careful, dear. You might provoke Alastor again.”

A pale hand reached through the bars, hands made for creating and loving, pushing back the curtain to reveal Anisha, bandaged in places she hadn’t been when Laurance had seen her before. She looked like she had just woken up from a nap, too, and she was always grouchy after waking up from a nap. She spotted Laurance on his knees in his demon form and she looked back to Jeo with a raised eyebrow. 

“Really, Jeo?” she said, voice a little raspy from just having woke up. “Surely he’s been tormented enough.”

“Mmm perhaps,” Jeo said, delighted and eyes bright as he realized he had a new prisoner to torment. “I suppose I could mess about with you until the duchess gets here.”

“Aw, poor sad mage is bored and needs to be entertained 24/7,” Anisha said in her signature obnoxious tone, ignoring the way Laurance glared at her, trying to tell her to stop. “Are you afraid of being alone with your thoughts for even one second?”

Jeo opened his mouth, but his expression was not one of fury and one of stark surprise and maybe a little bit of terror. He cleared his throat and shook off his arm decorations, who pulled back and muttered to each other in surprise as he stalked over to Anisha’s cage past Lauranace. 

“How did you know that?” he asked, fiercely and quietly. 

Anisha scratched at her cheek. “It’s a common problem among people like you. You work and play all the time and never think about what you're actually doing with your life and what impact your actions have on others because you're terrified of what you might see there and realize that, no you’re not a good person, and yes, you should feel bad.”

She could hear the way his teeth ground together as the people behind them wondered what they were talking about. Anisha knew she was pushing her luck, but the longer Jeo was focused on her, the less time he had to mess around with her husband before the duchess got here. Laurance had already come in bruised and beaten to a pulp. She didn’t mind going through a little more pain if it meant he got a little break. He would do the same for her. Heck, he did the same for her all the time. 

So, she kept talking, despite her fear. 

“So,” she said, “Why don’t you leave him alone and chat with all your friends like you did before and we’ll all be happy. You have nothing to prove tormenting him further. You’ve already shown you can overpower him, easy peasy. Doing anything more would only serve to annoy the duchess during dinner.”

“You spoke out against me,” Jeo said sharply. “What makes you so sure I won’t punish you for speaking so brazenly to me, even now.”

Anisha put on her best pathetic face, extraordinarily convincing to the point she saw Jeo look for what caused her sudden pain as she said in an exaggerated rasp, “Oh, duchess, your highness. The great mage Jeo hurt me because I was scared he was going to kill my husband, my lady. I am so so sorry, I cannot sing, please, I would sing for you if I could.”

She smiled, dropping the act and Jeo went a little pale at the performance. “You…. you’ve acted that way before. With that servant three days ago. She had him thrown in the dungeons.”

“Did she?” Anisha asked, a little amused now. “Don’t worry, dear Jeo-” she sat up fully, tilting her head, “I only use this power when it’s completely necessary. So, don’t do anything to me that I could use against you, and don’t treat my husband in a way that would make me need to speak out against you, capisce?” 

Jeo nodded faintly, still shocked by what he had just learned and what that might mean for his career. “Why haven’t you done with with Alastor.”

Anisha rolled her eyes. “Because he never comes near me outside of every time he’s been ordered to torture me. So I can’t complain about him because she ordered it and she makes sure someone tends to my wounds afterwards.”

“And you swear you won’t-”

“No, I won’t…. Though you’d be extra safe if you could bring me some extra food after the feast.”

Jeo glowered at her, but nodded all the same. He stepped back and turned, releasing the enchantments on Laurance. Laurance’s demon features vanished, though he stayed on the floor, gingerly moving his limbs as he got feeling back in them. 

Still, as Jeo passed he grabbed Laurance by the hair, dragging him back towards where he had been standing earlier and tossing Laurance to the floor. Laurance curled up there, not able to get up quite yet as Jeo turned to his audience who were watching him in shock. 

“Looks like the dear dragon has struck a deal with me,” Jeo said, acting like he had come out on top of the deal. Anisha didn’t begrudge him the attempt to save face and went back down to laying languidly on the pillows on the floor of her cage, watching as Laurance slowly sorted himself out. 

Laurance glanced back at her, eyeing the bandages. They were wrapped in the strange way Matsu liked to wrap bandages. 

When Laurance finally had his limbs back, he stood back up, leaning back against the wall as he went back to waiting, the guests all gathering and chatting like nothing had happened. He looked over to Anisha, who lifted herself so she could sign at him. 

You ok?

He smiled and signed back, hands low and with small movements so he wasn’t noticed too much. I’ll be fine. You?

Anisha rolled her eyes. Spoke too much. I’m fine. Matsu helped. 

And Kira?

Somewhere. I haven’t seen her since getting here. Duchess says Kira’s working on projects for her.

Laurance nodded slightly. That wasn’t great. They were all separated, then. Escaping wouldn’t be easy. 

Before he could ask any more questions, the grand doors opened and Laurance fell still, making himself out to be a quiet servant, only shifting his weight gently on his legs to see if he had recovered from what Jeo had done to him. 

The duchess walked in, dressed in a lovely layered dress. Laurance watched, interested in seeing how she planned to sit in her chair with all of her layers. As he did, though, he realized that there weren’t many other servants around and most of them were involved with bringing food out. 

One look from the woman confirmed Laurance’s suspicions and he stepped forward, only a little wobbly. He pulled out her chair for her, helped a little half heartedly to straighten out all of her skirts, and pushed her chair in when she was settled. He stood quietly by her chair, glancing out of the side of his eye towards Anisha, who was watching with hunger in her eyes. She looked rather thin and Laurance realized she wasn’t getting fed properly which was probably what kept her from escaping at this point if she had been here for as long as he guessed she had been. 

“Welcome, my friends,” the duchess said. “I have some new guests to introduce you all to. You have met my songbird, and some of you may know my tinkerer. Bring her in!”

The grand doors opened and Kira stepped in, flanked by two guards. She was wearing something in between a waistcoat and robes, a couple other layers underneath like all of the nobles, and she was decorated with all kinds of brooches and pins and jewelry, her hair clean and cared for and her one wrist weighed down by a cuff that looked more like a tracker than anything else. 

She walked to the chair the duchess had prepared for her, and she didn’t notice Laurance, but when she did, she nearly laughed out loud at his state of undress. He could see it in her face, but her eyes quickly softened into gentle and teasing concern. 

He puffed himself up in a quiet display of mock outrage before he shared a smile with her, glad to see her okay. 

“And this is the songbird’s husband. He’s a demon, but we have him well controlled,” the duchess said and Jeo smirked at Laurance. Laurance only glanced between him and Anisha and back to him and Jeo’s eyes dropped. Laurance only just barely managed to hide his own smirk. 

“The last guest will be revealed later,” the duchess said. “He’s…. Busy at the moment. So, let’s eat!”

Laurance didn’t have to think as he dished the food for the duchess and stood back just behind and to the side of her chair while she ate, observing the exits and the people, trying to figure out if he could break Anisha out and get out with Kira. They could find Matsu then or leave and come back for him with some reinforcements. 

After the appetizer was finished, Laurance mindlessly served the main course to the duchess, who seemed very pleased that he didn’t need to be told what to do. 

After a moment of the dishes being uncovered, Anisha gasped in the violent way she would something very very bad was about to happen, making Laurance jerk and just barely keep from taking off the duchess’s head with the plate he was holding as he whirled around to try and see what was wrong as Kira’s chair scraped on the floor as she stood up on instinct in response as well. 

Anisha was very pale and looked rather sick. “Don’t eat that,” she said, voice strained and pitched strangely.

Laurance looked down at the meat on the plate. It looked to be from a very large fish, one he didn’t recognize. Then it hit him. He flipped over the filet and saw the color of the skin. 

He dropped the plate quickly, stepping back as the filet shredded itself off down the duchess’s dress. 

Kira had come to the same conclusion and backed off from the table, her eyes quickly shifting through colors in her shock, disgust, and fear. 

“Where is he!?” she croaked. 

The duchess grinned upon seeing their reactions, despite her dress being ruined with the flesh and sauce. “Sit down, my dear, and you’ll see him. As for you, demon, serve me my food.”

“I will take no part in this,” he said fiercely, his accent thickening with extreme nerves. “I would that I be placed in a cell than witness this table of eels and caloots feast on the flesh of my brother.”

The duchess grinned even wider, leaning forward to take a pinch of the meat, bringing it to her mouth. Laurance screamed, the sound echoing in two tones as he ran forward to stop her, Kira getting up to make a break for the door where she was quickly grabbed by the guards. 

Jeo stood up, his sleeves dragging through three plates as he threw out a hand to draw lines on the floor. Laurance slammed into the edge of the demon circle and fell back, curling his arms over his face and gasping as the burns faded. He got to his knees in time to see the duchess chew and swallow. Lauarnce turned his head, feeling sick as Kira was wrestled back into her chair. 

“I supposed it is cruel to keep brothers in arms apart for too long,” the duchess said with a cruel smile. “Jeo?”

Jeo nodded, standing and chanting in an old language of this world. The ground opened up, the tiles rumbling and rattling in some places as something moved from below. A huge tank, held together by magic guessing by the thickness of the glass and how much water it was holding back, rose up from the opening in the tile floor. Matsu lolled his head around, eyes glassy with pain and horror. His arms were bound above his head, forearms together and held up by chains that hooked into a pole at the top of the tank. It would have been easy for Matsu to reach if it weren’t for the fact that all of the muscle from where the middle of his thighs had been down to just before where his fins started had been removed. 

Laurance stared in horror at the muscle strands that were slowly growing back onto the bare bone as the guests oohed in appreciation of the sight. 

“Eat, my friends. There is certainly more where that came from. The mer will heal and we shall feast from neverending flesh!” 

Laurance didn’t get up, Anisha couldn’t look for long without her stomach threatening to give up on her, and Kira just stared at the guests as they ate. 

At the end of dinner, when Matsu started to come out of shock long enough to realize he was on display for the three closest people in his life plus a roomful of morally bankrupt guests, the duchess asked Anisha to sing for her. 

She tried. 

She gagged and gagged until the duchess declared it the best song she’d received from her ‘lovely little songbird.’ 

Part 23

[pcrdidcs]

it would've been lame for her to openly bring her sketchbook to the club, so instead, hiyori's on her phone in her notes app, typing short sentences, dialogue, environment descriptions, anything that comes to mind. she's a little out of her element here, which isn't bad. places like these, among the warmth and buzz of alcohol, the laughter and swaying of people, and the pulsing and pounding of the music, it actually helps with her creativity. she enjoys people watching, even more so when they're too buzzed to tell. glancing up, she sees someone moving from the dance floor to the bar, ending up right beside her just as she notates an idea of a ghost having a hard time with moving on so they haunt lively clubs and bars. hiyori hears him offer to pay for her drink, and she looks up, surprised. "oh, thanks . . . !" she looks to the bartender and reminds them that she's having a sweet cocktail. the stranger leans his back to the bar and looks out at the crowd; she wonders what he would look like with demon wings—or, what if the bar was underwater and they were all mer-people? hmm. . . "it's good," hiyori says. "quiet. not in the sense of it being quiet here at the club, but . . . it's been good! nice and easy today. can't complain." she offers a friendly smile. "i'm hiyori. thanks for the drink, by the way. what's gotten you in such a generous mood?"

Starter: Open [4 cap] @valpostart Location: Club Divine

The entire plan of moving him early to Chile had been his father’s and for once in his entire life Gael could not have agreed more. The moment he found out how far from home he’s be hr jumped at the opportunity. Went as far as looking into hotels and car dealerships himself to get everything situated before making the move. He didn’t pack his own clothing, or move it himself but that’s what employees were for. After years and years of doing shit himself he was more than happy to pass the boring stuff off to someone else. He was doing them a favor if he really thought about it, it wasn’t like their pay wouldn’t show out a smile on their face in the end.

He had originally wanted to reserve the VIP room but figured perhaps if he met a group of interesting enough people to take back there then he’d go for it. For the time being he enjoyed all that the club had to offer from the bar. The night was still young, and he had heard of some great amenities about that particular place.

Gael found himself moving between the dance floor and the bar, having one of the best night’s he’s had in a long time. No work to stress over for months to come, no sister, and most important no father to ruin his mood. “Can I get an amaretto sour.” He called out to the bartender as he reached the bar then glanced to the side at the person sitting, “And whatever they’re having. On me.” Gael turned his body towards the crowd and rested his back against the bar. “How’s your night coming along?”

[traumxrei-archive]

aaaaaaaaaa i'm glad i'm not being a bore with my octopus infodump ksldjfkfsjd

azul just struggling during beans day and running around trying to keep up with jack despite the constant threat of flatlining is somewhat, funny sick 😂 the imagery of just, azul looking ragged, panting and wheezing as he tries to break into a sprint, feet dragging and looking like he's about to trip and eat shit at any moment.

jade just carries an aed everywhere with him just in case azul's heart starts going funny...

but also it somewhat, makes me feel bad... if azul's cardiovascular system is that trash he should really follow a modified pe programme... vargas pls... 😔

that being said, i personally would imagine that he will be careful not to push himself too much? since you'd think he'd be able to feel when his heart is about to fail (feeling faint, shortness of breath, etc..)

i'm not fish enlightened so i'm not sure how an octopus would recover from their heart stopping (maybe it just, kickstarts by itself if the octopus ceases activity? i'm not sure... maybe the branchial hearts eventually revives the systemic/main heart? aye...)

though supposedly an octopus can have its main heart stop for over an hour without any negative side effects...

it's sort of, eerie. to imagine azul in pe class or just, going through a busy day. and everything is fine at first glance, but when you take a closer look, you realise he's almost not breathing. and he wouldn't have a pulse...

on another note, in people, your heart stopping completely (flatline aka an asystole) isn't exactly, a situation you would want to be in.

iirc an aed (or defibrillators in hospitals) doesn't shock a stopped heart back to life, in fact it's the opposite: it stops the (irregularly beating) heart so that you can reset it to a normal rhythm. so it's used during cardiac arrest caused by the heart beating out of rhythm/erratically (not stopped completely), like too fast or too slow (among others).

an asystole is generally irreversible in people... so unfortunately jade zapping azul would do little to help...

speaking of jade, i find it fascinating that (some) moray eels have glass (-like) teeth. morays have got to be some of my favourite sea creatures, they're just so goofy looking with their mouth constantly open like :V

(and also, goodness, i'm flattered that you enjoy my silly illustrations 😂 porridge leona has confronted me to the mortifying ordeal of being perceived 😂😂)

(the continuation of this)

IM SO SORRY THIS REPLY TOOK SO LONG FALSE !! i got caught up in the event so ur ask got pushed down im very sorrryyy T^T pls forgive meeee aaaaa

also im so sorry for putting the idea in ur brain *wheeze* but azul just d wording n then getting up again like everything's fine is just. peak comedy to me.

lmao n then jade explaining that he has an aed lisence just for these types of situations– (everyone getting shocked that the dude who beats ppl up carried a thing that helps ppl not die in certain situations–)

alsp yea. vargas probably doesnt understand mer-biology, like he thinks everything translates smoothly bc of the potion even tho they retain some animal characteristics fjfjfjfjjsjs

yea maybe they have a magical explanation as to how azul walks around with a stopped heart, he probably feels it happening and can either get himself to the nurse or since he's been living with it all his life, he probably has a spell for helping regulate his heart shdhdjfj (it's no use to him when he's dog tired like he was in beansfest tho T^T)

OH MY GOD YES. THE GLASS TEETH– i hc that the tweels aren't fully one type of moray, actually they've probably got a mix of creatures in them so them having glass teeth in their mer form...it makes them deadlier bc you gotta watch out for the teeth you can AND can't see (like the pharyngeal jaws. i keep thinking abt their pharyngeal jaws and i can't sleep at night)

also yes morays are so cute i just wanna squish one despite the fact that it'd probably chomp my hand off–

and speaking of their mouths going :V I THINK ABT THE CLEANING SHRIMPS N MORAYS' MUTUALISTIC RELATIONSHIP– it's so cute bc floyd calls us "little shrimpy" so it's kinda like we became his little cleaning shrimp esp if we worked at mostro lounge,,, we keep things clean n he proteccs us from potential danger !!

(ITS OK TO BE PERCIEVED !! kinda scary at first but ppl do b staring n loving ur art <3 (it's me, i'm people) and keep up the good work wooo)

[butterfly-winx]

Things about each other’s cultures that the girls find most difficult to understand/cope with (pt2)

Zenith

Musa and Stella: National gene bank

Being mixed children, Musa and Stella find it very difficult to reconcile the existence of one unified central library of genes that all babies are born from on Zenith. For one there are people in both of their cultures who would have objected to either of them being born (the Rai/Selenite conflict on Solaria and Musa being human/elf mixed) they find the gene bank to be a huge risk for cultural feud and eugenics driven bad intentions. Zenith claims not to filter for disabilities aside from congenitally lethal ones, but with little independent control of their proceedings, the purity of their actions is often hard to control

Layla: Religion

Everyone believes Zenith to be such a proponent of science over everything else, it is often forgotten that the majority of the planet’s countries are religious monotheists. But monotheists of different singular gods! Layla coming from a culture based on natural religion finds the concept of a “one man show” strange to begin with, but when you tell her they all have a different one true guy whose precepts they follow she is out.

Bloom and Flora: Public information channels

In theory, whole dedicated channels or airtime slots filled with facts and scientific information rather than mindless ads is an excellent idea. It aids the education of the population and reduces the amount of populist or fearmongering misinformation taking root. Flora and Bloom are just a bit apprehensive about how easy it is to slip half-truths into a stream of factual truth, seeing as the information stream is ever so slightly different between the Zenithian countries, each finding some other aspect of a scientific discovery important, or advocating the involvement of their countrymen in a project over everyone else’s.

---

Andros

Bloom and Tecna: High mortality

It is not that mortality rates are very high, it’s just that the proportion of /water/ related deaths among them is high. Technically this is not that unusual, seeing as 90% of the planet is water, but maybe exactly because of this, Bloom and Tecna would expect people to be more careful around the elements. Androsians, like any regular god fearing nation, respect the Sea over everything else. Their hubris mainly comes from an overall acceptance that the Sea can claim about anybody if it wants. People don’t tend to struggle against it when they think their times has come. (See King Teredor and Niobe just huddling in the flooding castle instead of escaping) What adds to it is also that the royal family are of course not the only ones with mer cousins, and especially young people will overestimate the capacity of their lungs while playing in the waters. 

Stella: Animism

In Androsian cultures objects made from natural resources retain their soul stemming from having been living things once, even after they are shaped into an object for human use. To Stella this is difficult to comprehend. Like sure wood is wood, it has been a plant once and its origin should be respected, but for her once wood becomes a bowl it becomes a thing, with no spirituality attached.

Musa and Flora: Blood feuds

No one is a stranger to historical conflicts, sure. Androsian blood feuds however have morphed into conflicts that are still “honoured” in modern days. Local kingdoms can claim feud rights to claim land and people from neighbouring regions, functionally enslaving residents. On a personal level people still get ostracised from communities for marrying wrong, upsetting elders or for the ever effusive reason of doing gender wrong. (Neither of them really understands this part of Androsian culture.) Musa is solidly in camp “you owe your parents piety” while Flora is a general opponent of the sentiment, they both feel that this goes a little bit too far. People need a community that won’t self-destruct over to their eyes minor infractions.

---

Domino

Layla and Tecna: Horse culture

Dominians love their horses and elks they keep for riding, select animals are kept as revered pets even. Coming from an island world, Layla never really saw a purpose in those animals. What does weird her out about this is that a good 40% of Domino’s population are centauri, who are - no matter how you look at it- half horse essentially. So how can Dominians be that enamoured with their equines while their neighbour could be equally hooved?

Musa and Stella: Cultural homogeneity

It goes without saying that all girls, including Bloom, stagger at the thought that the Dominian Empire enforces unity through extreme measures, not having shied away from extermination wars in their past. Once one dares to descend planetside despite that, the most staggering thing is that Domino truly... is like that. You get the same language, same customs and same products from one coast to another. It is staggering for Musa and Stella, whose homes have also at some point been empires encompassing several planets even, but the former members 

Flora and Bloom: Military culture

Domino operates on a dual leadership structure in which has legal head of the state and the leader of the military reigning beside each other with equal power. Complicating the situation, the Vazul, head of the armies is also the spiritual leader of the Church of the Dragonspirit, melding religion and military culture into a dangerous mix. Flora has never encountered anything like this before, while to Bloom this reeks like the worst parts of her adoptive home. It doesn’t feel like a good combination, less so seeing as in the current generation both positions are filled by Bloom’s parents, which isn’t really supposed to happen and is a rightfully criticised controversy.

Special mention: Earth

So many countries! 

That is probably what all the visiting girls were hung up about. Earth is unique even within the wide breadth of the Magic Universe, having an enormous habitable zone that spans almost the whole planet. The only other place that comes even near that title is Lynphea, but Lynphea is several times the size of Earth and houses slightly fewer inhabitants. The girls loved spending time visiting different parts of the planet and learning about the different cultures and languages spoken, (tho if you asked them, neither could name more than 5 countries from the top of their head. This also made assimilation and staying under cover in Gardenia difficult, bc Bloom, conscious of the girl’s home cultures and habits has given them different fake home countries. The other five of course got immediately confused, which resulted in situations like Tecna proudly claiming they were Chinese and Stella inexplicably saying she was Roman)

[artsy-hobbitses]

Since this month is Mer-May theme. It got me thinking about aquatic beastmen, what are they like in this au and how are they generally viewed? , I'd imagine they would work and live near places with water like the docks and seeing as Omar and jace have work there what was their reaction?

They, like Insectoid Beast Men are a small subgroup and tend look least human!

For most part, they’re actually left well alone since their territories don’t interfere with standard humans living above sea; Their biggest ‘city’ outside of joint-country Eukaris is in the Pacific Ocean, far away from land-based humans and they have scattered communes in the Atlantic and the Indian Ocean.

Most of them actually tend to avoid humans as much as possible, but some of them make the choice to work with humans for reasons ranging from being exiled from their own community or needing specific land-based resources, to simply enjoying their company if they’re an accepting bunch.

The advent of commercialized fishing has put them into much greater conflict with people, though the ball is usually in their court——this is not landlubber turf, and it’s bad business to seek fights with them in an area where they constantly have the upper hand. This doesn’t stop the killings of lone members of their pods however via sea mines and harpooning, but it’s not as big of a problem as it is with Beast Men who live on the surface.

Their reception by the general populace varies widely—-some fishing communities see them as rivals for resources (like in Japan, where they’re widely disliked and often seen as a variant of ‘Ningen’), others (like among SEA and the Pacific nations) see them as messengers of the sea, or have a symbiotic relationship with them.

Orcanoch (The orca you see here) actually did work on the same docks as Jace and Omar and knew them quite well! He’s been a good friend of theirs and usually helps the team out with ocean scouting missions.

[otvlanga]

Got some Savos headcanons to share?

Ooo sure, I have a few. Here you go anon, I hope they don’t sound too ooc for him

- Man he just looks like he knows karate or something. Yeah, he’s the Arch-mage so he’s obviously a powerful magic user, but I feel like he could kick some ass in a fistfight too. Definitely punched Ancano in the jaw at one point. Didn’t regret it.

- He met Neloth once by pure chance, probably during a brief visit to Solstheim for one reason or another. Still a young mer at this point, he was very unimpressed by his attitude and challenged him to a magic duel in a moment of pure annoyance and impulse. He got his ass handed to him, painfully. It took several hours for him to free himself from the Emperor Parasol that Neloth sprouted out of the ground to trap him in some sick fungal headlock. Has had a particular disdain for mushrooms ever since, and tries to avoid using them in alchemy. Neloth probably doesn’t even remember this, or he just didn’t realize that the Arch-mage was that “ignorant fetcher child” that he beat the shit out of in a magic duel some countless decades ago.

- Takes up sort of a fatherly role for Brelyna. They’re the only two Dunmer in the college, and she’s a young girl full of great potential. He appreciates that she has no arrogance in her heart about the fact she’s a Telvanni descendant, and relies instead on hard work and studying to improve her skills, rather than demand things be handed to her. Savos Aren is one of the few people at the college who Brelyna is comfortable opening up to, and asking for guidance or advice. He actually takes up this type of role for a lot of the students, and other teachers as well. With age he’s grown to be a very good listener, and with his definite two or so centuries seniority over everyone, he’s chock full of good advice to give. Even J’zargo has come to him to ask for guidance (but it was in the middle of the night where nobody else would be able to see him, of course)

- He never really wanted to be the Arch-mage. After the incident at the Labrynthian, he suffered with bad PTSD and carried the heavy guilt of his companions deaths. When he was told that he was to be the new Arch-mage, he recoiled in disgust at the idea, because he feared that in leading everyone else at the College, he would eventually be the cause of their downfall. He feared that if something were to happen, he'd fail at guiding everyone in the right direction and protecting them, and he’d once again be the last survivor standing idly among the rubble and bodies of people he had no hope of saving. However, he knew that the position of arch-mage fell upon his shoulders whether he liked it or not, and if he was going to amount to even a third of the leader he wished he could be, he’d have to move on, and take on his leadership with confidence and optimism. Even if in the back of his mind he felt as if he’d never succeed, he vowed that he would damn well try, and he’d make sure that his support for others was never absent when they needed it most.

- He actually wanted to be a soldier before studying magic. However, he found that his natural talent for magic and his cool disposition suited a life of study much better. He traveled to study at the college when he was young, intrigued by the freedom the students had to practice the arcane in whatever way they wished. It was very liberating for him, to be surrounded by peers that would never scorn each other for cooking their dinner with a flame spell, or using mage light to read a book at night, like most nords would.

[dapandapod]

Sing with me

This one is for @jaskierswolf, my last entry for mermay! 

Please enjoy some Jaskier x Mer!Valdo with some fairytale feels to it. Thank you a billion to @kuripon for being my beta! (go give her fics a read too, they are amazing)

Here on Ao3.  Please enjoy.

Lettenhove is beautiful in spring. Buds breaking into leaves, flowers forcing their way out of the frozen ground, the sky clear and blue. Jaskier loves it, and he wishes he could be out and enjoy it. But here he sits, listening to his tutor going on about the great wars of the continent. He used to be interested, but his new tutor is a right bore. He is never allowed to ask questions, or move about. And Jaskier is nine, he wants to move a lot.

What makes it better though, is the view. The room the tutor claimed for their studies has a view of the bay below. It lies undisturbed, the harbor being built in safer water with far less protruding rocks. If Jaskier focuses really hard, he can hear singing from down there.

 He shuts his eyes real hard, ignoring the howling wind, ignoring his whining tutor, and focuses on the splash of waves and rich voices harmonizing along the cliffs, bouncing off the stone. It earns him a slap on the wrists most times he is caught, but it is worth it. Sometimes he sneaks into the classroom after bedtime. He sits down in the alcove in front of the window and opens it. Propped up on his elbows, he looks down below, the height making the underside of his feet tickle, and the wind is blowing gently in his bangs. More than once he falls asleep there, lulled by the singing below and the splashing of waves.

 One day he will go down there and meet them. The sirens.

~

 Jaskier gets a new tutor. She is younger, brighter than the last one, and she smells like the sea. Her eyes are the deep grey of angry skies and her smile as soft as seaweed. He likes her a lot. She teaches him to sing, and the lilt of her voice reminds him of those below, those hiding in the crashing waves. She teaches him the ways with a lyre, and she lets him ask every question that pops into his mind.

 But something goes wrong. He isn’t sure what happens, but one day after their studies, she kisses his forehead and bids him goodbye. “It was nice knowing you, little Julian,” she whispers, like it is a secret. “Come visit us some time.”

 The day after, a stern, thick man takes her place. The man frowns when he sees the lyre, decorated with seashells, but lets him keep it and doesn’t tell his father.

 And when night falls, Jaskier creeps back into the classroom. Elbows propped against the window, he sings. He knows their songs now, their words, and he knows she is down there.

  ~

  Jaskier is thirteen when he braves it for the first time. The climb down there is steep, loose rocks and wet grass under his feet keeping his heart in his throat.

But he wants to meet them before he leaves. He has been accepted to Oxenfurt for his studies, and he is leaving before his fourteenth birthday. He stumbles and falls on his butt, sliding down a few paces before he finds his feet again, scraping his knee. It stings, and the leg of his trousers is ripped, but he keeps going.

 It's not until he stands, watching the water churn among the rocks, that Jaskier allows himself to breathe. Small droplets of salt water hit his cheek, his nose, and he blinks. They watch him, as he watches them. Jaskier can see them in the middle of the bay, settled on the rocks sticking out of the water. None look like the other. One's skin is rich gold, another a deep brown. Another is pale white, shimmering like a pearl. Their hair is sticking to their bodies, long and dark. Only two of them seem to favour a shorter hairstyle. Not all of them even have fish tails.

 Jaskier takes a tentative step closer to the water, knowing full well he will die if he falls in. Maybe he will die anyway. All of the stories he has been told about sirens end with humans dying.

But they came to him. She kissed his forehead and sang him good night.

He won’t believe it.

  One siren dives beneath the surface, her tail green and red. He waits for her to approach, and when she is close enough, he recognizes her. Her eyes are still the color of angry skies and her smile is still as soft as seaweed. She greets him with warmth, and bids him sit.

 They sing together, and it takes all of his concentration to remember the words. It’s been years, after all, but he falls back into it easily enough. The others join them after a while, their curiosity peaked by a boy by the sea, learning their language. Those with legs come sit with him, and he blushes at their nakedness when their bodies are revealed.

 That summer, for every night he is able, he sneaks down to the bay. He learns their names and their singsong way of talking. When he tells her about the lyre, how he has it hidden from his father, she is delighted. She teaches him more about music than any tutor he has ever had ever, and her way of telling stories is like poetry.

 When fall comes and Jaskier is put in a carriage to Oxenfurt, he doesn’t cry. He has needled from his mother and older sister that they have the song there too. It may be in a different form, but he has sworn to her to bring it home to them.

  ~

  Jaskier is seventeen when he meets Valdo Marx.

 That boy is like no other in Oxenfurt. He is wild, rude, funny and absolutely beautiful. He sprays himself with thick and expensive perfume, but Jaskier smells it on him anyway.

The sea.

Valdo's hair is thick and dark, just like theirs. Jaskier watches him in the lazy hours in the morning when they sit in the library. If a ray of sun hits him just right, there is a vague shimmer to his skin.

 Jaskier knows.

And he is besotted.

 But approaching Valdo Marx is harder than anything he has ever done. Their ways of singing are much alike, and Valdo takes great offence at that. Where Jaskier tries a tentative smile, Valdo sneers. Scoffs, mocks and pushes him away.

Jaskier doesn’t understand it, but he accepts it. If their rivalry is all he can get, he will take it. So it's song duels, poetry battles, drinking games, anything to get his attention. Valdo keeps the act up, but sometimes when they part, Jaskier thinks he can see the hint of a smile.

  The water near Oxenfurt is so very unlike the water at home. It is calmer, for one, and the water is so very clear.. Jaskier likes to go down there in the early mornings. He avoids the harbor as it is a busy and dangerous place at times, and these nights he wants peace.

 He longs for them. His friends. People call him songbird, but no, that’s not it. Jaskier follows the beach and when the weather allows he takes his shoes off. At home it was dangerous to step into the water, but here the waves lap at his feet, hiding them under a thin layer of sand. It is harder to find a good place to sit, so he is far from town when he reaches his chosen spot. He leans back against a tree, watching the sun slowly rise above the water. Gulls cry over him and dive into the water for breakfast.

 Jaskier likes to sing here.

Not as he does in school, nowhere near that. Here he sings in their language, far from prying ears. No one sings with him, but that is alright. It’s been years since he went back there. He probably won’t ever go back there again.

His father is not a kind man.

Jaskier sings his sorrows away. It feels like he is calling to them, a lonely cry over the waves, asking for someone, anyone to join him. It would be nice if Valdo sang with him. Maybe, if he is patient, he will win him over.

  Things change when Jaskier gets in a fight. He didn’t mean to, he is shit at fighting and the sight of blood makes his head spin, but here they are. And he is losing too.

 A fist slams into his ribs, making him bend awkwardly around the pain. Jaskier grunts, but straightens up, or at least he tries to. His feet are kicked from under him, and next thing he knows, feet are raining down on him.

 They kick his hip, his already aching ribs, his shoulder, his fingers.

 Jaskier doesn’t see Valdo in the tavern. Doesn’t notice those ocean eyes on him, his silence and his observance.

 Only when the blows stop, and Valdo is taking a swing at the offender does he notice. Turns out Valdo is bad at fighting too, and they run from the pub together, bruised and swearing. They stop in an alley, hidden far enough away from the street, catching their breath. Only when they are sure they are not being pursued does the laughing start. More like giggling, actually. Neither is completely sober, adrenaline rushing through their veins, and the sheer absurdity of it all has them hiccuping and wheezing, leaning against the wall for support.

 “Why the fuck would you pick a fight with that guy?!” Valdo wheezes, wiping tears from his cheeks. “He was huge!”

 "He was being an asshole!” Jaskier defends himself, but he agrees. Maybe not his brightest idea. They sink down against the wall, catching their breath. The ground is a little muddy, but his trousers are already dirty, so it doesn’t matter.

When they sit side by side, Jaskier watches Valdo’s profile in the semi-darkness. He doesn’t usually get to see him up close, and with the light spilling from a window somewhere above them. Valdo is beautiful. And in this low light, Jaskier can see the hint of scales again. He knows Valdo is probably wearing a glamour, so he isn’t supposed to be able to see it. Valdo looks back at him, eyes still glittering with humour.

“What?” He asks.

“Thank you. For helping me.”

Valdo looks at him searchingly for a long moment. Then he nods, as if he has made up his mind.

“You are welcome.”

  They sit in silence for another few moments, letting the buzz of Oxenfurt nightlife surround them. Jaskier is looking up over the rooftops, trying to see the stars, when Valdo speaks again.

“You know what I am, don’t you?”

“I do.”

“You sing like we do.”

“I do.”

“Why?”

Now it is Jaskier who turns his head and finds Valdo watching him. He blinks fast a few times, trying to chase away the flutters that rise in him.

“One of my tutors came from the sea. My father didn’t like her, so she didn't stay, but we found each other again. She taught me songs and words and stories.”

 Jaskier can’t tear his eyes away, watching Valdo watching him.

It is a strange sensation, having Valdo’s attention like this.

 “Is this why you keep going to the water to sing?” Valdo asks, surprising him. It must show on his face, because he smiles gently at him, and Jaskier feels like he could melt.

“I hear you sometimes. When I’m out swimming.”

 Jaskier has to swallow hard before he can reply. He would love to see Valdo in the water. He remembers how graceful they are back home, how they moved in the water, strong muscles playing under the skin.

 “It is,” Jaskier confirms when he has himself under control. “I miss them.”

“I don’t know where my family is,” Valdo says after a while. “I left to come here. But I will find them again. Some day.”

 Jaskier stares at his boots for a moment. He wants to ask, he wants to ask so badly. He is a little afraid to do it, seeing that they just got on speaking terms.

 “Would you uh…”

Valdo is still watching him as if he is trying to figure him out.

“Would you sing with me some time?”

 There. He said it.

Valdo opens his mouth. Closes it. Tilts his head.

 “Do you know what it means to sing together?”

Jaskier shakes his head. He doesn’t. But it always meant a lot to him, and Valdo holds a special place in his heart. He wonders how their voices would sound together.

“It means belonging. Is this what you are asking of me? To belong?”

Oh.

Oh, that puts warmth in Jaskiers heart. To have found belonging with his people in the waves, to be accepted, chosen and loved.

And it flusters him greatly that he is now asking the same of Valdo.

Because he is, he realizes. He would like that very much.

 “If you’d like. Some day. I’m not asking for it now. I just… I would love to see you in the water sometime.”

Valdo doesn’t reply. He stands up, dusts off his trousers.

“We’ll see. Maybe.”

Then he stretches out a hand to help Jaskier up.

Valdo's hand in his is soft, warm, firm. When they are both on their feet, Valdo doesn’t let go of his hand immediately.

 “I think I can see what they saw in you,” Valdo says slowly. Jaskier doesn’t really understand what he means, but he loves it all the same. They make their way slowly across town, following the ebb and flow of its inhabitants. Valdo is still holding his hand.

    It takes months, years for Jaskier to see Valdo swim. His tail shares the color of seaweed, scales sparkling in the evening sun when he breaches the surface. Jaskier watches from the bay, far away from prying eyes. Valdo is every bit as magnificent as he thought he would be. Their journey here was long. A tentative friendship growing and growing. They still have their rivalry, are still at each other's throats most of the time.

But tonight, when Valdo offers to bring him to the sea, Jaskier know that too is about to change. Jaskier is wading out into the water, and Valdo swims to meet him. When the water comes to his chest, Valdo wraps his arms around him. It is cold, but Valdo pulls him in close and pushes their foreheads together.

“Will you sing with me?” Valdo asks, stealing Jaskier's breath away.

“Yes.”

[splatsys-sizeshift-shenanigans]

..... Giant mer sapnap au?... Possibilities of g/t karlnapity?.... Possible dream team g/t?.. Pred sapnap and more giant sapnap content?.... Tell me more :>

OH MY GOD THE TIME HAS COME anon ive been waiting to talk about this au for ages but never had a reason to HJHDSF OKAY SO Sapnap is a giant flamecrest siren mer! Flamecrests are a subspecies that most mers have, which allow mers of that subspecies to use a special type of magic to create undersea fires. My logic is flawed and i know it.

I don't have many ideas for Karl or Quackity yet, HOWEVER, I do have their stuff figured out! Karl is a human-sized warper mer (kinda like the warpers in subnautica) and Quackity is a non-human of an unknown species, but he has shapeshifting abilities and usually takes the form of a human.

George is a human, and Dream is an avian resembling a fallen angel. He claims he's an actual fallen angel, he just doesn't know how to fly yet. Only Sapnap actually believes it, but George goes along with it just to be a good friend.

Oh, Bad's in this AU too! He's a demon who has the ability to change his appearance to look like a human, and he's in a group of people who hunt non-humans, so he can help save them.

Now we under the cut for some nom-related things, and spoilers for Dream and Sapnap's first meeting. Don't like it? Please don't read it!

One of the first major plot points is Sapnap rescuing Dream from being stranded out at sea and being found by a crew of hunters, who are doing their job and hunting for non-humans. Bad may be among them to help rescue non-humans who get caught. Bad may also know Sapnap :) Anyway, Dream gets spotted by one of the hunters, specifically Bad. Bad whistles a tune that the other hunters don't recognize, but Sapnap does. Its a distress tune that him and Bad created so that Sapnap could help him get non-humans out of bad situations. So of course, Sapnap does what he should, and makes his way over to where Bad was whistling from. Bad distracts the hunters by pointing out a well-timed whale jumping out of the water, while Sapnap comes over and quickly explains what's happening before he noms Dream. I'm not gonna explain further because I actually have an ask in my inbox right now asking about the first meeting between Sapnap and Dream, which is what this is based on.

There are a few other small things I won't be mentioning here, but yeah!!

[katherinewilliams221b]

For A Greater Good 16/18

Not my gif. Before It’s Too Late

Summary: Kate Williams, young healer and member of the Order,  joins Durmstrang’s staff at Dumbledore’s request. Her mission? Find a Death Eater and survive long enough to tell the story. Set in 1996.

Pairing: Charlie Weasley x ofc/mc

Masterlist

[Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4] [Part 5]

[Part 6] [Part 7] [Part 8] [Part 9] [Part 10]

[Part 11] [Part 12] [Part 13] [Part 14]

[Part 15]

--

Warnings: mentions of blood and wounds

Classes were over, grades had been hung in the corridor, and Durmstrang celebrated that another year was over. 

Kate was forcing a comb through her brown waves when she heard laughter and hasty footsteps outside her dorm. Returning her attention to her hair, she pressed more insistently on the knot that was refusing to untangle and contemplated the day ahead of her; the Annual Exposition of Dark Arts had arrived and with it, the crushing fear of not leaving Durmstrang anytime soon.

She had told Dumbledore and Rhode she was no auror; she didn’t have training in catching criminals, if that’s what one of these people were.

“Well, it’s not like someone will raise their hand and say ‘it’s me, Kate, take me to Azkaban.’” She murmured to her reflection in the rusty mirror next to the door.

Why? Why had Dumbledore put her there? What was she supposed to do? Almost six months had passed; she had heard from Dumbledore only once, and Rhode was so busy with the school’s events that had practically forgotten why she was there.

But Kate still remembered. She still remembered what happened to Flavia Hodges.

Having abused her locks enough, she attempted to shape them into curls, twirling some hairs around her finger. When she finished, she traced her dragon necklace before securing it under her robes.

Who would be willing to join a Dark Wizard? And why? For a greater good, as Corentin had said? Or maybe for more personal reasons? No one was exempt from guilt, no one was good or bad; Cassandra Steiner was rude and disagreeable, but she was a mediwizard and cared for others; Flavia Hodges was almost murdered and Kent Jorgensen would have protected the man he thought was guilty, but he wasn’t ill-intended and seemed to be a clever man; Leron Angelov was sick and violent with his son, but he had enough problems to be a criminal; Libor Marek was intolerant and prejudiced, adequate characteristics for a Death Eater, but that didn’t make him one; and the only thing that Kate knew about Mer Yankelevich was that she was a liar.

She let out a heavy sigh and made her way to the desk. After grabbing her cloak from her chair and fastening it around her neck, she grabbed the several items she intended to carry with her at all times: her wand, her diary, the list and the trick wand that the Weasley twins had sent her.

The night before, tidying up her belongings, she had found the box that Fred and George had sent her and thought it could be a good farewell gift to Vivien, in case she wanted to give a lesson to Jon Hopkins.

She felt uncomfortable with everything she was carrying on her. The list and her notebook were inside her improvised pockets, and both wands were safely tucked in each sleeve. Impractical for the occasion, but with everyone distracted with the AEDA, it was very easy for someone to slip out of there unseen, and she had no intention of anyone walking into her room and finding those items. After fastening her ankle boots, she headed outside.

 Rhode had not been exaggerating when she described the AEDA as the biggest event of the year; the corridors were ostentatiously decorated with garlands and lights; countless carriages arrived on the castle grounds one after another and the doors to the dining hall were open all day, held up by pillars from which people could grab pamphlets describing the event’s activities.

Tables had been rearranged to form the various displays, and the students were dressed in their finest robes to honour the occasion.

The hustle and bustle of the day made the place unrecognisable, characterised by its usual gloom and darkness.

She advanced through the hall, pausing from time to time to watch project demonstrations and congratulate those taking part in the competition. Her eyes fell on a familiar face next to her; Leron Angelov sat behind a table where a seventh-grade girl explained her work to three wizards who, judging by their golden robes, were the judges.

“The potion lets you transfigure into whatever animal or object at will, only for a few minutes…” she exposed. Kate approached Angelov and leaned in to whisper, “Don’t do that.” Leron stared at her and stopped scratching his arms.

After wandering around for a while, she finally reached her own table, greeted her students and settled wizards and witches filed in and out of the room, delighting in the students’ magnificent works.

She wished with all her might that she could share their enthusiasm.

She gave several forced smiles, for Rhode’s sake, as the organiser of the event she wanted everything to go smoothly, but deep inside she was overwhelmed by a deep worry that she didn’t know how much longer she could bear.

“It’s really ugly.” She overheard one of her students, Greta, referring to her umbrella flower. Several of her children were standing behind a table, presenting their work to the audience.

A single umbrella flower, magically modified to remain a medium size, floated above the table; its vibrant red colour stood out among the sober tones of the place. The top of the plant, usually hollow to do justice to its name, now was decorated with thirty-seven fangs all around the base, giving it the appearance of a weird-looking lamp.

“You should be proud,” she reminded them, “You’ve managed to do something wonderful.”

“It’s still horrendous.” Jon Hopkins commented, wrinkling his nose.

“We’ve done next to nothing...” lamented Micael. Kate raised her eyebrows.

“What do you mean, you haven’t? We needed every single one of your plants, remember they didn’t all germinate, and only one of them got these results. And these posters explaining the whole process? They are priceless...”

They were still not convinced, so she kept insisting “In a few years, someone will want to do the same as you and they will be grateful to have your work as a reference”.

A man and a woman approached their table and after reading a few paragraphs of their report, left without comment. Everyone visibly deflated.

“By the way, where is Vivien? I have something for her...” asked Kate. Micael shrugged.

She looked around, but it was impossible to find anyone among the crowd. She saw a few familiar faces; like Jorgensen chatting animatedly with some seventh year students or Sheyi Mawut, who was making his way through the wizards towards her. There was no sign of any other teacher.

“Well, well! This is the first time in a long time I’ve seen first-year students exhibiting. What have we got here?” Mawut looked at Kate with a smile and she touched two fingers to Micael’s elbow. The boy looked at her and Kate nodded.

“We have created the first umbrella flower with teeth, Professor! It’s one of a kind because the species itself is unique. It floats like an umbrella flower and has teeth like a fanged geranium...”

Kate watched proudly as Micael’s other classmates came up to support him in his rehearsed explanation, some interrupting the speech out of excitement at being able to contribute something.

“And you did this on your own?” Suddenly the children fell silent and looked at the ground or anywhere but Mawut’s face.

“They’ve done all the hard work,” Kate interjected, “Finding the plant, germinating it, growing the geraniums, crossing the two species...”

“How wonderful... can I read your notes?” Mawut let out a laugh as a mountain of notebooks were at his disposal in a matter of seconds. “Maybe just one will be enough.”

The teacher’s kindness managed to relax Kate just a little.

“I’ve got better at my flying practice, Coach Mawut!” Greta commented, “Do you think I’ll ever be as good as Lena?” Kate raised her head at the familiar name.

“I’m sure you will.”

“Who?” she asked to extend that conversation.

“Lena?” Mawut pointed to some drawings and nodded, smiling, “Lena Yankelevich, she was an impressive seeker. Several top teams like the Vratsa Vultures or Heidelberg Harriers wanted to make contracts with her.”

“What happened?” Mawut closed the notebook and thanked Micael for his explanation. Greta tugged at Kate’s sleeve, causing the fake wand to brush against her skin.

“She died, Professor Williams...” she lamented.

“In the middle of a match… She disappeared into the mountains and never came back. Some Muggle climbers were in the area and saw her, and we found her surrounded by three men who had stolen her broom. But we shouldn’t have gone...” He paused and in a quieter voice added, “The climbers got scared when they saw us. There was a lot of commotion and they pushed Lena... down the cliff. No one knew how Lena had come to that situation.”

A witch casually approached the table and wrote something down on a piece of paper. Everyone around her watched in silence as she looked at the plant and then nodded before turning away.

Mawut went to add something else, but Libor Marek joined them.

“This is an unfair competition.... and what is this? A plant?” He grimaced, and Kate glanced at Mawut before averting her eyes to the rest of the room.

Astrid Rhode had stepped on the pallet where her lectern stood. After rearranging her papers, the witch cleared her throat and drew everyone’s attention to her.

“I can’t begin to express how wonderful it is to have all of you here on this special occasion. To honour this event, let me introduce you to Lazar Berović, a former winner of the AEDA thanks to his system to identify and capture chameleon ghouls.” Kate joined the round of applause with little interest. The man in question took Astrid’s place and started his speech.

Her mind drifted to the single hair that had fallen on her sleeve, and she dully grabbed it between two fingers as slowly as she could, making an effort of not listening the ghoul-hunting narrative they were being ‘gifted’.

She had a document whose content had expanded over the last month, completing a full page and a successfully finished project. There was nothing to keep her at that school any longer. Nothing, except the original reason she was there: to find a supposed Death Eater.

But I want to leave.

Would Dumbledore be angry if she returned early? But how much longer would she have to stay?

I want to go home. I want to go to Charlie.

Then come home.

Charlie’s voice again, echoing in her head as if he were talking to her right next to her. This time she didn’t panic, it was the push she needed to make her decision. Dumbledore would have to settle for the list.

But she would be leaving a bunch of children in the hands of a murderer. No, she’d figure it out when she was safe. If anyone wanted the scroll Kate had in her possession, she’d have to flee before it was too late.

The speech was over, and the room filled with the previous murmur of happiness and excitement.

“Excuse me...” Kate stepped away from the group, leaving Micael in charge of defending the front, and made her way to the door.

She hadn’t realised how much she’d become accustomed to the noise until she’d walked a few corridors away from the dining room. With everyone partying in the middle, Kate and the silence went hand in hand all the way to the library. Or at least, that was where she was headed, had she not come face to face with Corentin.

“Ah, Katherine, I was just on my way to the exhibition...” The librarian’s smile crumbled at the sight of her expression.

“Corentin...” she whispered, “I think... I need to get out of here.” They both looked around, but they were alone.

“And how do you plan to do that? With a carriage? They don’t leave until the 20th.”

“I have to go get my trunk and apparate. I don’t know... I’ll jump to Romania and... then to England.” Corentin shook his head.

“I’d recommend three jumps at least.”

“I don’t know that many places! I don’t know where we are!”

“Keep your voice down.” They dissimulated again as two wizards passed in front of them. They greeted each other cordially, and when they were out of range, Corentin grabbed Kate’s elbow. “Everyone is in the Dining Hall. In fifteen minutes the band Rhode has brought will start playing so everyone will be paying attention. Go to your room and stay there until I let you know.”

“What are you planning?”

“We’ll apparate together. We’ll do Sweden, Germany, France and you go to England alone.”

“Corentin...”

“You go. I’ll pick you up in half an hour.” The librarian didn’t give Kate a chance to question him, and she watched him march in his bat form down the corridor.

She turned and broke into a jog towards the side staircase on the ground floor, a shortcut that would take her to her bedroom. She slowed when she felt a presence around her. She sensed desperation by legilimency, and it wasn’t her own. Anger too, even fear.

She turned a corner, but someone was waiting for her. Strong but elegant hands clamped over her mouth and grabbed her robe, pinning her against a chest.. Her pulse quickened, as did her breathing. She tried to free herself from the arm that held her, but it was too strong.

Slowly, the hand covering her mouth slid to the side and reached her neck. Kate couldn’t breathe. She felt the hand tighten around her neck and Mer Yankelevich’s needle-like nails made contact with her skin.

“Give me your wand.” Kate made a movement too sharp for the teacher’s liking and she gripped her tighter. “Slowly.” She tried to take a deep breath, but she had begun to shake in such a way she couldn’t concentrate on her breathing. “Give me your wand, now.”

With an idea half-formed in her head, she moved her left arm to release the wand. Seeing her, Mer snatched it from her hand and jabbed it into her back. “Let’s go for a walk. Don’t even think about running or screaming” They strolled to the other end of the ground floor. They passed by several wizards and in the eyes of the world everything was normal.

Just as the teacher muttered “Incarcerous” the Weasley twins’ wand trap rose into the air and began to hit Mer in the head. Taking advantage of her absent-mindedness, Kate broke free of her grip and ran off in search of the front door. She pulled her real wand out of her other sleeve, knowing Mer was very close behind her.

Just a little closer.

She ran through the sea of people in front of the door, hoping to get lost in the crowd. She glanced back as she went, but there was no sign of the teacher.

She left the castle with bated breath, and hastily pulled her diary from her pocket, muttered ‘Reducto’ turning it into a tiny, almost unrecognisable object, and continued running towards the bridge.

Maybe she could take refuge in the forest, go to the coordinates Dumbledore had given her, maybe the stranger would find her if it was an emergency. She cursed when she remembered she had burned the map.

She was about to reach the other side of the bridge when something hit her from behind, causing her to fall to the ground.

With a scream she hit the stone, and from the ground she saw Mer Yankelevich striding towards her. She looked around frantically, searching for her wand. She reached out and drew the weapon towards her before pointing it at the teacher.

Yankelevich paused, pointing her wand at Kate, and waited for her to rise from the ground. Both witches stared down at each other in a duelling stance, and the spells soon began to explode. Kate fought back as best she could, trying to remember some of Marek’s tricks, but Mer was the Charms teacher and she knew that at any moment she would tire herself out until she lost.

“You’ve got something that’s mine!” shouted Mer between curses.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Kate started to walk backwards, trying to go around Mer and turn her back on the castle, but the teacher was quicker and cornered her against the bridge wall.

“The stone! Where is it?”

“I don’t have any stone!” Kate peeled away from the bridge wall, dodging spells with little grace. One in particular made her ears pop, and she could barely hear Mer accusing her of lying repeatedly.

“How did you get in the room?” shouted Yankelevich, “The column broke!” Kate gasped as a stunning spell hit her leg and she staggered backwards. Focused on not falling to the floor, she didn’t notice the parchment flying out of her robes.

“You broke it?” Kate asked as she tried to catch her breath, “Why?”

“It wasn’t on purpose. That’s the entrance to Grindelwald’s room, and I was trying to open it.” She took a few steps towards Kate, pointing her wand at her. “So tell me; how did you get in?” her accusatory tone made the young witch flinch. Kate bit her tongue, physically, to avoid revealing how wrong she was. In case she didn’t make it out of this situation alive, the teacher must not know her way into the room.

With Charlie in mind, she lowered her wand, hoping to give Yankelevich a sense of security. Band music began to play from inside the castle, conveniently deafening those inside and isolating them from the catastrophe that may or may not be occurring on the bridge.

In only an instant, Kate noticed how the teacher got distracted by the sound of the instruments and took advantage of her glance over her head to begin a duelling offensive. Mer defended herself gracefully, dodging and occasionally returning her opponent’s attacks. Kate’s chances diminished with each spell.

Yankelevich turned her back on the castle, and it was at that moment Kate realised her previous oversight. There, at the feet of the person who might be her executioner, the list of Death Eaters’ names lay within her grasp.

“Mer,” she began cautiously, “all this is for your sister? None of this is worth it.”

“What do you know! Do you have a dead sibling? You have no idea...” It was a stab in the heart without knowing it. The internal debate in Kate’s stomach was making her dizzy, and as she considered whether to tell her story, the teacher crouched at the sight of the document. “We all lose loved ones. Angelov, Jorgensen, Marek, myself.” Mer ignored her.

“So this is how Karkarov intended to communicate with the Ministry...” The parchment flew through the air as Kate’s spell impacted against the teacher’s hand. Both witches began a dance of lights and explosions again, swirling around unknowingly gravitating towards each other.

The castle doors burst open and a third wave of spells shot towards them. Libor Marek was almost galloping in their direction furiously airing his wand.

“Mer!”

Kate let out a choked cry as Yankelevich twisted her arm backwards. She had managed to physically reach her and after pulling at her forearm, one hand with threatening nails anchored her neck against the teacher’s chest; with the other, she pointed her wand at Kate’s temple.

Both witches looked at Marek with completely opposite expressions.

“Mer... Let go of the girl.” He warned, holding up a hand.

“Look, your guardian angel has arrived. Day after day, that man has been preventing you and I from having a friendly chat, always sitting outside your classroom, hovering in the corridors without letting you out of his sight,” she turned to Marek, “tell me Libor, what has this girl done for you?”

“This is not about her. You think I don’t know you were seeing Karkarov on the sly? You think I don’t know that you threatened to turn him in to the Ministry? You think I don’t know that you’re the one who’s been trying to get to that imaginary room?”

“It’s real! She got in with the help of the bat she has as a friend. And now she’s going to tell me how.”

Kate couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “You knew?” The accusation was drowned out when the grip around her neck tightened. “She tried to kill Flavia! She practically couldn’t speak!”

“And who do you think stopped her from going to the hospital wing to finish the job, huh?”

“Enough.” Mer finished. She forced Kate to walk to the bridge wall and bent her over the stone. She stared straight into the eyes of the abyss; the fog prevented her from seeing the end, if the cliff had one, and she knew that if she didn’t act soon all that would be left of her would be her memory. “I’m only going to ask you one more time. You found the resurrection stone, where is it?”

“There was no stone!”

She felt the needle stick as if it had happened in slow motion. She brought her hand to her neck as Mer released her and managed to drop to the ground just before the barrage of spells between her and Marek reached her. If she was dizzy before, now she was convinced she was going to throw up.

She slid down the stone to the ground as her vision blurred. She squeezed her eyes shut and opened them again, trying to maintain some control over her body. Spotting her wand near her, she awkwardly crawled towards it, avoiding a violet light that flew treacherously close to her.

She tried to get to her feet, but instantly collapsed again. The nausea was increasing, her vision was blurring more and more, her pulse was throbbing. She pushed her hair out of her face as best she could and rubbed her eyes, but she couldn’t quite focus on the dancing figures circling before her.

Corentin was waiting for her somewhere, probably by the door of her room to take her to a safer place. But she couldn’t reach him, not without the list.

Kate frantically searched for the paper somewhere on the bridge, hoping with all her might that the wind wouldn’t suddenly pick up. Moving her head like that did not help her condition, and the migraines she had been experiencing made their appearance to reinforce her misfortune.

Where were the cavalry? Why was no one from the castle coming to the rescue?

A bitter taste rose in her throat, forcing her to spit out some saliva, which to her horror was whitish. 

No one would come to help her. She would have to save herself.

With what little energy she had left, she stumbled to her feet and took a few steps towards the other side of the bridge. The list was at her fingertips, but the world was spinning and twisting, and now both hands were trembling.

The moment her hand made contact with the paper, a spell exploded against the stone above her head. But she couldn’t back out now. She reached out and caught the parchment between her fingers. She pointed her wand at herself, still shaking, and felt the familiar tug in her stomach that would pull her out. Yankelevich looked with terrified eyes at what was about to happen and pointed her wand at Kate.

The green light of the unforgivable curse never grazed her.

  Kate collapsed to the floor of the grimy Grimmauld Place street with a sob. Corentin had warned her about this; I recommend at least three jumps, the librarian had said.

Lying on the floor with her arms stretched out on her sides, she looked to her right; her eyes were full of tears and her arm full of blood. 

I recommend at least three jumps.

She felt herself choked up again. This time, some foam adorned the corners of her lips, while trying to reach her wand with her left hand.

Three weary taps against the ground caused the building in front of her to awaken, revealing the door of the Black family home. Breathing was getting harder and harder, and with her ears increasingly clogged, Kate tried, to no avail, to stop her splinching from bleeding. Without dittany, it would be impossible.

She raised her wand towards the building with a groan. Unable to utter a word, she concentrated on firing several red lights into the windows. Some bounced off the walls and others off the glass, and she prayed it would be enough, for keeping her arm up was draining her strength.

As the convulsions became more violent, her hand fell to the floor with the rest of her body.

Attempting to keep her eyes open, she made out figures coming out of the house; one was a lanky, black blob she likened to a Dementor by the way his cloak moved; the other was much shorter and rounder with a hint of red hair. The rest of the people who rushed at her were indistinguishable.

Severus Snape forced her eyes open with his fingers, wearing a worried expression. Recognising him, Kate screamed, or at least she thought she did. The only sound that came out of her mouth was a painful sob.

“Darling, darling, look at me, it’s going to be alright,” Molly reassured. Kate wanted to shout that nothing was right, that she was in danger, that the man who was pouring the contents of a potion down her throat was a traitor.

The convulsions hadn’t stopped yet, but the unbearable burning in her arm did. She wanted to watch her wound heal, but Molly clutched her tear-soaked cheek preventing her from seeing the amount of blood that had gushed out from her arm.

“You’ll be fine, sweetheart, you’ll be fine.”

She choked on her saliva and Molly tilted her head to help her spit out the remnants of foam. Several conversations sprang up around her; all seemed distant, like an echo in a cavern.

When the shaking stopped, the relief was almost immediate. Snape forced her jaw open, emptying a vial into her mouth again. The commotion didn’t seem to end; several wizards and witches combed the street for any Muggle witnesses, and others were busy inspecting windows and doors.

Intense pain engulfed her head and mind. Attributing it to migraines, Kate missed the long, silver strand that shot from her temple in the direction of an unknown wand. She closed her eyes, and with one last deep breath everything went black.

--

[Part 17]

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A/N: Oooooooooof I dont know how did you react to this I’m so nervous

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